Bill Text: TX SB732 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to an exception to the application of the offense of misuse of official information for journalists.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-01 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB732 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-SB732-Introduced.html
  88R8429 EAS-D
 
  By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 732
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to an exception to the application of the offense of misuse
  of official information for journalists.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 39.06, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection
  (c) that the person solicited or received the information for
  purposes of gathering, compiling, preparing, collecting,
  photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting,
  investigating, processing, or publishing news or information for
  dissemination by:
               (1)  a communication service provider or news medium,
  as those terms are defined by Article 38.11, Code of Criminal
  Procedure; or
               (2)  an Internet website, including a social media
  platform.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
  before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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